"Come, have some soup. I've already eaten, and the doctor said you need something light right now, so I bought you some relatively light chicken soup."
"Mhm, just in time, I'm hungry."
...
Time slipped by quickly, and before she knew it, evening had arrived once again. Just like at noon, Lin Yuqing went out to eat first and then brought dinner back for Wen Rou.
Looking at Lin Yuqing as she headed out with a smile, Wen Rou thought how truly magical fate could be. Back then, that self in the other world had felt so capable, but after hitting a wall in society and having her confidence shattered into pieces, she had felt an immense sense of resentment.
Instead of feeling that she was still reasonably capable, what was it that had dissolved her self-confidence and fighting spirit? She knew Korean, Japanese, Cantonese, and English—while not fluent, she had reached a decent proficiency. Yet, in the end, she had lost all enthusiasm and could not muster up any drive for anything.
Thinking about it now, it was perhaps the helplessness of fate, coupled with a lack of encouragement and trust. She had once envied those children whose parents forced them to attend cram schools and all sorts of interest classes. Those were things beyond her reach, and whether one was born with them or not had long since been marked by fate.
And now, as long as she wanted it, she had a like-minded friend: Lin Yuqing. As long as she didn't stray onto the wrong path, her family supported her. Now she had the courage to pursue her dreams.
Perhaps the hardships she had experienced back then were meant to make the road in this life a little smoother.
Ah, whenever people had too much idle time on their hands, their minds tended to wander; people were truly prone to sentimental affectation at times. Just as Wen Ling fell into self-pity, her phone rang.
It was Wen Rou's mother: "Mom, why are you calling so late?"
"Hasn't your daughter gone several days without calling? I was afraid you'd be suffering all alone out there in Hengdian. Since you're determined to enter the entertainment industry, you should do a good job of it. Your mom will definitely be your fan from now on."
"Mhm. Thank you, Mom." Wen Rou felt overjoyed to be cared for.
"Rourou, it's already six o'clock. Have you eaten?"
"Not yet, I'm going to eat in a bit. Mom, I need to tell you something, and you mustn't get mad, okay?"
"What is it? Tell me. None of that nonsense—whether I get mad or not depends on what you've done."
"Well, it's just that, um, this morning while I was practicing dancing, I accidentally fell and hurt my head. Now I'm at the hospital."
"Rourou, are you okay? Forget it, I'll come see you tomorrow. Which hospital are you at?" The tone at the other end of the line instantly turned incomparably nervous.
"I'm here in Hengdian. Actually, you don't need to come; Big Sis Yuqing is here with me. Today has really been thanks to her taking care of me."
"No, I have to go. How old are you? You only just reached adulthood—how well can a 19-year-old child take care of herself? Mom knows that over the years, your dad and I set up a lot of hurdles to dispel your idea of getting into the entertainment industry, but we never expected you to persevere through all of it. Even your mom admires you; you have a perseverance and persistence that many adults lack. Child, I am definitely coming over tomorrow. Your own daughter is injured, how could a mother not worry? If I weren't so busy at the firm and unable to leave, I'd fly over right now."
"Mhm, I know. I've never resented you guys. I will definitely become the pride of you and Dad. I also know you had my best interests at heart, and having me study hard was so I'd have something to fall back on in the future. Don't worry, if I can't survive in the entertainment industry later on, I'll definitely go to your firm and be your assistant to witness the grace and brilliance of Lawyer Lan."
"I'd rather you become my pride than see you make a wretched exit. Even if you quit, it should only be because you're tired of it someday."
"Mhm! Mom, go ahead and get busy, see you tomorrow."
"Alright, eat your dinner and get a good rest. Practice dancing and singing only after your health is better; there's no need to rush."
"Don't worry, I'll be careful."
Hanging up the phone, Wen Rou smiled: "To think that previously I was a corporate drone working herself to the bone just to make a living, but now I'm a second-generation rich kid from a well-educated family."
"It's magical, truly magical!"
"Magical? What is magical?" Lin Yuqing had entered quietly, afraid of disturbing her best friend's rest, only to hear her say "magical." She was quite curious for a moment.
"Magical? Human destiny, of course. Take us, for instance: from elementary school all the way through university, we've been good friends. You're just like my own older sister. Even though we didn't go to the same university, we've never grown distant. How was it that when I was so little, I already had the thought of entering the entertainment industry? And how have I been able to stick with it for so many years? Isn't that magical?"
"What's so magical about that? At most, it just shows our friendship is strong and your perseverance is extraordinary. But why do I feel like the way you're saying this is kind of weird? If I had to call it bragging, you didn't actually come right out and say it."
"Heehee, you'll know in the future," Wen Rou murmured softly.
"Huh?"
"Nothing."
"Later on, you'll be able to use the word 'humblebrag' to describe it."
"Look, not only did I bring you dinner, but I also bought a bunch of flowers. When you're sick, how can you be without flowers? I brought you red roses so looking at them might put you in a better mood."
"I love you so much, Big Sis Yuqing, I really love them."
"Haha, whenever you act spoiled you like to call me 'big sister', and I almost forgot I'm two years older than you. It reminds me of my age—I ought to be spanked."
"Haha, mercy, mercy."
"Hey, don't move around so much, or you'll start feeling uncomfortable again. Hurry up and eat, I'll go put the flowers in a vase."
"Okay."
Lin Yuqing smiled. Sometimes this little girl could be so mature that you wouldn't guess her age, but when she acted childish, it was equally obvious.
Although dinner was still chicken soup, Wen Rou loved chicken soup, so she still didn't find it tiresome. Paunched hand-rolled noodles and blanched greens completed the meal, and she ate with great relish.
After a delicious dinner, Lin Yuqing called over a nurse to ask about adding a temporary bed, but the nurse informed her that none were available at the moment.
"Big Sis Yuqing, why don't you go back to the rented apartment to sleep? I'm feeling a lot better here, and besides, there are nurses and doctors around, you don't need to worry."
"No way, your condition is still quite serious. How could I leave you all alone and not worry? Why don't I share the bed with you? Anyway, this bed of yours is pretty big."
"Alright, I'll hire a private caregiver tomorrow. Having you watch over me all day and night is too exhausting, and I feel bad for you."
Lin Yuqing made an exaggerated, cheesy gesture: "Fine by me, I won't stop you—you're a little rich girl, after all."
"Look who's talking, aren't you one too? If I'm a little rich girl, you're a regular landlady, seeing as your family owns so many properties."
"Well, at most I'm just the landlady's daughter right now, so you're still the more formidable little rich girl."
"Haha, fine, actually we're both formidable."
"Haha."
Both girls burst into laughter, their laughter carefree and full of anticipation for the future.